Clod-crusher



No. 6I8,400. Patented Ian.'3l, |899. J.A DIETER. cLoD c-Rus'HER. (Applicmon med Apr. 12, i898.)

' (No Model.) 2 sheetssheet CLOD CRUSHER.

(Application led Apr. 12, 1898.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

ilivrrnn @rares PATENT Omron.

JOHN DIETER, OF LOOKPORT, ILLINOIS.

cLoD-CRUSHEVR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 618,400, dated January 31, 1899.

Application led April 12, 1898.

To all whom, t may con/cern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN DIETER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lockport, in the county of XVill and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful @lod-Crusher, of which the following is a specification.

The purpose of the present invention is to devise a machine for pulverizing the soil after the ground has been broken or plowed, so as to prepare it for seeding, said machine bef ing of improved construction and embodying novel features, which will be set forth at length hereinafter and noted more particularly in the subjoined claims.

The machine in its organization comprises a vertically-adjustable frame carrying the .crushing cylinder or drum, which is studded with teeth to engage with clods to crush and break them up. r1`he crushing-cylinder is rotated at a higher rate of speedJ than would result if it were turned upon its axis by coming in contact with the ground, thereby insuring the crushing and pulverizing of lumps and clods of earth. A train of connections is interposed between the crushing-cylinder and the drive-wheel, so as to rotate the crushing-cylinder at a relatively higher rate of speed, and this train embodies a clutch mechanism whereby the crushing-cylinder can be thrown in and out of gear at the will of the driver. A

For a full understanding of the merits and advantages of the invention reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings and the following description.

The improvement is susceptible of various changes in the form, proportion, Aand the minor details of construction without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof, and to a full disclosure of the invention an adaptation thereof is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view of a clod-crushcr constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a side view, the near framebar being removed. Fig. 3 is a rear view of the means for throwing the crushing-cylinder into and out of gear. Fig. 4 is detail section of a drive-wheel, showing the clutch mechanism and the parts cooperating therewith. Fig. 5 is a detail view, in perspective, of one Serial No. 677,305. `SNO model.)

of the sprocket-wheels slidably mounted upon the axle of a drive-wheel and the sleeve upon which it is mounted. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the means for pivotally supporting the front axle.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in the several views of the accompanying drawings by the same reference characters.

The frame comprises side bars 1, which have their front end portions forwardly convergent, as shown at 2, and brought together, forming a front extension, as shown at 3. A transverse bar 4 connects the side bars 1 at their front ends, and a bar 5 connects the rear ends of the said side bars. An intermediate bar 6, parallel with the front and rear bars 4 and 5, connects the bars 1 about midway of their ends and lsupports twin sprocket-gears 7 at its ends. The twin sprocket-gears have their toothed portions of different diameters, so as to multiply the speed of the crushingcylinder in the manner presently to be described.

A rectangular-shaped frame 8 supports the crushing-cylinder 9 and has pivotal connection with the intermediate bar 6 by means of a series of hinge-brackets 10, which are rmly attached to the rear bar of the frame S and have eyes or bearing'at their rear ends to receive reduced parts of the bar 6, with which they have a hinge connection, so as to admit of the frame 8 and the crushing-cylinder moving vertically according to the desired adjustment required. The crushing cylinder is composed of circular supports, secured upon a shaft l1, and toothed bars, the latter applied to the said supports. The shaft 11 is journaled at its ends in end bars of the frame 8 and its end portions project beyond the end bars of the frame and receive sprocket-gears 12, which are connected by sprocket-chains 13 with the larger sprocket-gears of the twin sprockets 7. Chains or like flexible connections 14 are secured at their front ends to the front portion of lthe frame S and pass over a bar 15 and connect at their rear ends with an operating-lever 16, which is fulcrumed to a toothed` standard 17,*provided with a handoperated latch 18, which coperates with the toothed standard to secure the lever and the frame bearing the crushing-cylinder in an ada IOO j usted position, said lever and toothed standard being supported on the main frame. The bar 15 is located over the crushing-roller and is supported at its ends upon braces 19, having their rear ends connected to the intermediate bar 6 and their front ends to the side bars 1. By operating the lever 1G the crushing-cylinder can be elevated, so as not to come in contact with t-he ground, or can be lowered to any required position, so as to enable its teeth to penetrate the ground to a greater or less distance.

A transverse bar 2O is arranged parallel with the bars 5 and and a short distancein the rear of the intermediate bar 6, to which it is connected by braces 21. U shaped frames 22 connect the end portions of the bar 20 with the bar 5, and their middle parts extend longitudinallyand parallel with the side bars 1. A stub-axle 23 is provided for each of the frames 22 and is provided at one end with a cross-piece 24, which is bolted to the longitudinal portion of each of the frames 22.

Ground-wheels 25 are mounted upon the stub-axles 23 and are provided upon their outer sides with ratchet-teeth 2G. An axle 27 is provided for each side of the machine and is supported at its inner end by means of a stub-axle 23 and at its outer end bypassing through an opening` in the adjacent side bar 1. A sprocket-wheel 28 is slidably mounted upon each axle 27 and is provided at its inner face with ratchet-teeth 29, which cooperate with the ratchet-teeth 2G and unitedly therewith form a clutch for connecting the sprocket-wheel and ground-wheel, so as t0 cause them to rotate in unison when the machine is in gear. A sleeve 30 is mounted to turn upon each of the axles 27 and has a feather-and-spline connection with the sprocket-wheel 28, so as to rotate therewith. This sleeve has a collar 31 at its outer end, and a spring 32 is interposed between the collar 31 and the outer end of the hub of the sprocket-wheel 28 and serves to hold said sprocket-wheel in clutched engagement with the ground or drive wheel. The' sprocketwheel 28 is mounted upon the sleeve 30, so as to move thereon toward and from the adjacent ground-wheel.

Spring shipper-bars 33 have connection at their front ends with arms 34, secured to the bar 20 and projecting therefrom, and these shipper-bars have slots 35, which receive the outer ends of the hubs of the Sprocket-wheels 23, said hubsbeing grooved to receive and pass through the slots 35, whereby positive connection is had between the sprocketwheels and the shipper-bars, so that upon moving the latter the sprocket-wheels are thrown into and out of gear with the drivewheels. One end oi' the slot 35 is enlarged to admit of the flanged end of the hub of the sprocket-wheel passing therethrough when engaging or disconnecting the shipper-bar. The rear end portion of each shipper-bar has an opening 36 for the passage therethrough of the rear bar 5. A lever 37 is fulcrumed to the rear bar 5, and links 3S connect the lever 37 with the rear ends of the shipperbars, thereby admitting of the sprocketwheels 28 being simultaneously thrown in and out of engagement with the ground or drive wheels. Sprocket-chains 39 connect the sprocket-wheel 28 with the smaller spurgears of the twin sprockets 7.

The front axle 4c() is provided centrally with an iron 41, having upper and lower journals 42 in vertical alinement, the lower journal obtaining bearing in a brace 43, secured to the front extension 3, and the upper journal obtaining a bearing in a clip 44, secured to the said front extension 3. The draft is applied to the front axle in any desired manner. The axle is provided at its ends with groundwheels, which support the front end of the machine.

By reason of the train of connections between the ground-wheels and the crushingcylinder the latter is driven at a comparatively high rate of speed, thereby breaking up and pulverizing the soil and placing the land in condition for the reception of the seed. It will be noticed that the twin sprockets 7 are in axial alinement with the hinge or pivotal connection of the frame 8. Hence said frame can be adjusted vertically at its free end to raise or lower the crushing-cylinder without in any manner affecting the tension of the sprocket-chains 13 and 39. The outer ends of the hubs of the sprocket-wheels 28 ,are annularly grooved to operate in the slots 35, and said grooves are of a width to admit of the sprocket-wheels moving outwardly independently of the shipper-levers, so as to admit of the ground-wheels rotating unequally, as when making a curve or a turn.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a clod-crusher, the combination with a frame adapted to havethe draft applied thereto, and a second frame having pivotal or hinge connection with the main frame and bearing a crushing-cylinder, of a bar on said main frame located over the crushing-cylinder, an operating-lever provided with means for holding it in an adjusted position and supported by the main frame, and iiexible connection passing over said bar between said lever and the frame carrying the crushing-cylinder, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination with a frame, an intermediate transverse bar, a frame bearing a crushing-cylinder and having a pivotal or hinge connection with the intermediate bar, and means for raising and lowering the frame bearing the crushing-cylinder, of differential twin sprocket-gears mounted upon the said intermediate bar, drive-chains connecting the crushing-cylinder with the twin sprockets, ground-wheels, sprocket-gears having clutched engagement with the 'ground-wheels,

and means for connecting the sprocket-wheels with the twin sprocket-gears, substantially as set forth.

3.v The combination with a main frame comprising side and transverse bars, and a frame bearing a crushing-cylinder and having pivotal or hinge connection with the main frame and adapted to be raised and lowered, of ground-Wheels, sprocket-wheels adapted to have clutched. engagement with the groundwheels and operatively connected with the crushing-cylinder for rotating it as the machine is drawn over the eld, springs for holding the sprocket-wheels in clutched engagement with the ground-wheels, and shipperbars under the control of the driver for throwing the sprocket-wheels out of gear and constructed to admit of said sprocket-wheels having an independent limited movement, whereby they will admit of the ground-wheels moving at different rates of speed, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with the main frame, and a frame having pivotal or loose connection with the main frame so as to be capable of vertical adjustment and bearing a crushing cylinder, of ground Wheels, sprocketwheels mounted in line with the groundwheels and capable of being thrown into and out of clutched engagement therewith and operatively connected with the crushing-cylinder, sleeves in line with the ground-wheel and having a feather-and-spline connection with the sprocket-wheel and provided at their outer `ends with collars, and springs mounted upon the sleeves and interposed between the collars thereof and the outer ends ofthe hubs of the sprocket-wheel, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with the main frame and a pivoted frame bearing a crushing-cylinder and capable of vertical adjustment, of ground-wheels, gear-wheels having clutched engagement with the ground-wheels and optical alinement, a clip secured to the said eX- tension and receiving the upper journal, and a brace likewise applied to the said extension and receiving the lower journal of the said iron, substantially as set forth.

7. In combination, a main frame comprising an intermediate and side bars, a frame bearin g a crushing-cylinder and havinga pivotal or hinge connection with the intermediate bar, means for raising and lowering the frame bearing the crushing -cylinder, differential sprocket-gears mounted upon the end portionsv of the intermediate bar and having connection with the crushing-cylinder for transmitting motion thereto, ground-wheels, sprocket -gears mounted in line with the ground-wheels adapted to have clutched engagement therewith, means for connecting the sprocket-gears with the aforesaid diiferential gears, and shipper-bars adapted to be simultaneously actuated for throwing the sprocket-gears out of action, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOI-IN DIETER.

Vitnesses:

JOHN BECK, Trios. FEELY. 

